Opposition MP Frank Anthony Tabone told Parliament on Wednesday that the country should not comfort itself through recent statistics that indicate that Maltese youths are least likely, among all European youths, to take illicit drugs.
During Parliament's adjournment on Wednesday evening, Tabone cited the European Union Drug Agency's (EUDA) recent publication in which Malta registered the lowest drug use rates among its youths in the entire EU.
Tabone stressed that instead of rejoicing with these statistics, people should remind themselves of the sensitive realities being experienced daily in Malta and Gozo as a result of illicit drug use. Specifically, he told the Chamber to recognise the realities being observed every day by mental health professionals, law enforcement officers, and foundations like OASI and Caritas.
In reference to OASI and Caritas, Tabone mentioned how these foundations regularly work "with broken families, parents who have lost all faiths, and with youths who need someone to hold their hand before it is too late."
The PN MP said that if the government truly respects law enforcement officers who work against drugs daily, then it must allocate more funds for these units to better combat these realities.
Tabone added that "the security of Gozitan families must also be a priority" to add onto his appeal for increased funding in this regard.
Aside from this drug conversation, Tabone spoke about two other matters affecting his native Gozo: connectivity through the Gozo Channel and needed investment in Gozitan roads.
Referencing the recent tender to replace the Nikolaos ship within the Gozo Channel fleet, Tabone said that Gozitans have been seeking answers on the rental of this ship since 2019.
"We still don't know how much renting this boat has cost the Maltese and Gozitan people, through taxpayer money," he said.
He said that connectivity between Malta and Gozo is an essential service and that the PN Opposition will fight for transparency and for solutions in this regard.
Tabone concluded his speech by stating that everyone in Gozo agrees that "serious" road investment is required. He stressed that the timing of roadworks mustn't align with the electoral calendar, but rather for it to be continuous.
Saying that a long-term vision is needed here, Tabone told the House of Representatives that the last major investment done on Gozitan roads was done under PN administrations, through which, he said, "the landscapes of Gozitan roads changed."
He continued that many of the roads that were upgraded under PN governments are now deteriorating as a result of this infrastructural neglect.
Tabone concluded that having good quality roads is also a question of road safety. He remarked that "whenever a driver swerves around a pothole, we risk them causing a traffic accident" and commented that "this issue should not be treated through panic as election time approaches."